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Last updated: 31 March 2022
How much does tanking cost?
A cellar can be a great place to use as storage, not just for your wines but also for excess household stuff and even home-grown fruits and vegetables. However, as any cellar-owner knows, dampness can be a problem. The solution is to waterproof your cellar but you might ask, ‘how much does tanking cost?’
A cellar can be a great place to use as storage, not just for your wines but also for excess household stuff. It's great for home-grown fruits and vegetables too. However, as any cellar-owner knows, dampness can be a problem. You may know that the solution is to waterproof your basement, but you might ask, ‘how much does tanking cost?’
The good news is, waterproofing your cellar is not as expensive as it might sound. Here’s our cellar tanking cost guide to help you get started.
How much does cellar tanking cost?
| Cost provided item | Unit | Range - Low | Range - High | Average cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal tanking | Per square metre | £40 | £80 | £60 |
| External tanking | Per square metre | £35 | £45 | £40 |
| Underpinning the walls | Per square metre | £500 | £1,000 | £750 |
| Injection damp proofing | For a semi-detached house | - | - | £2,000 |
| Materials only (tanking | Per square metre | - | - | £25 |
| Materials only (injection damp proofing) | Per square metre | - | - | £15 |
| Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | ||||
You can expect to pay between £110 to £220 per day in labour costs for cellar tanking. The process usually takes around 1 to 2 days.
You can learn more about waterproofing costs in our waterproofing guide.
Tanking cost per square metre
For internal walls, the cost of tanking internal walls is £60 per square metre on average when you hire a professional.
For external walls, on the other hand, you may only spend about £40 in tanking cost per square metre.
If you have extensive damp damage, you might need to remove and replace the plaster and any timber that was damaged. This also adds to your cellar tanking costs.
What can make the process more expensive is if your property needs underpinning to prevent the cause of damp. This costs £750 per square metre, as you'd need to dig out the soil around the walls in order to repair the issue.
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Different types of tanking and their cost
Internal tanking
Internal tanking price for your cellar can be a little more than external walls. That is because you want your internal walls to look better than your external walls. That is why the cost of internal tanking ranges from £40 to £80 per square meter.
External tanking
External tanking starts around the same range as internal tanking, around £35 to £45 per square meter.
Injection damp proofing
Injection damp proofing is a process where you drill holes in your wall and inject it with a silicone-based damp proof cream. This cream rapidly permeates through the brickwork using capillary action. Since you don't need to apply it evenly across the wall, damp proof injections tend to cost less.
As a result, injection damp proofing in a semi-detached house can be done in £2,000.
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FAQs
What are the factors that affect the cost of tanking your cellar?
The biggest factor that affects the cost of tanking your cellar is the size of the area.
The other factor is the type of waterproofing you want and whether it's being done on the internal walls or external. If the damp has caused extensive damage, you may need to invest in repairing it, which makes your overall cost higher.
Finally, if your property has issues that led to the damp problems in the first place, those would need to be fixed as well.
What is rising damp?
As the name suggests, rising damp is when moisture seeps in from the ground and up the walls. This can usually be prevented by installing a damp proof course in the property walls.
How long does tanking take to dry?
After you have waterproofed your cellar, you need to wait for at least a day or two (24 to 48 hours) for it to cure (dry) properly.
Can you tank your cellar yourself?
If you're into DIY, you may find it easy to tank your cellar yourself. However, if your walls have suffered some damage due to the moisture, or if you aren't confident in your ability to do a thorough job, we highly recommend finding a reliable tradesperson to do it for you.
If there's an issue with your work it could cause further long-lasting damage and cost more in repairs. If you have any doubts about doing the job yourself, do work with a professional damp proofer.
You can find recommended professionals near you in seconds below. Always obtain at least three quotes!
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